Tag: rams draft

Rams agree to terms with 9 undrafted free agents, including two offensive linemen

The Rams didn’t select any offensive linemen, but they signed two after the draft.

After making nine picks in the 2021 NFL draft, the Los Angeles Rams doubled their haul of rookies after the draft concluded. The team announced on Saturday night that it has agreed to terms with nine undrafted free agents, two of which are offensive linemen.

There are also three safeties, one edge rusher, two wide receivers and a defensive tackle in the group, filling some of the team’s remaining needs. It’s unclear how many spots the Rams have left on their 90-man roster, but the addition of 18 incoming rookies this weekend will certainly provide some youth and competition to the team.

Here’s the full list of undrafted signees by the Rams.

Rams signing BYU safety Troy Warner, brother of 49ers LB Fred Warner

Troy Warner is joining the Rams as an undrafted free agent and could face his brother’s 49ers.

The Rams-49ers rivalry just got a bit more interesting in one household.

Following the conclusion of the 2021 NFL draft, the Rams agreed to a deal with BYU safety Troy Warner. And if the name looks familiar, it should. Warner is the brother of 49ers linebacker Fred Warner, who also went to BYU.

Troy announced the news on Twitter after the draft, thanking the Rams for the opportunity to compete for a roster spot. He added that he’s ready to get to work.

His brother Fred replied, calling it a “blessing” and saying he wishes Troy joined him with the 49ers. They each seem excited to face each other twice a year, assuming Troy makes the Rams’ roster.

In five seasons at BYU, Troy Warner made 120 tackles, had two interceptions and broke up 16 total passes.

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Rams’ winners and losers from the 2021 NFL draft

Looking at the Rams’ 2021 draft haul, who are the winners and losers in L.A.?

The NFL draft has a major impact on all 32 rosters each year, with newcomers joining the mix to potentially unseat veterans. The rookies will have to earn their spots, especially in the Rams’ case with no first-round pick being made.

Los Angeles had holes to fill and competitions to create, which the front office certainly did with some of its picks on Friday and Saturday. The Rams added players who will compete early in their careers, potentially taking over starting jobs from returning players.

Looking at the Rams’ roster and the nine players they just drafted, there were both winners and losers. Some players will benefit from the Rams’ moves – like Matthew Stafford and the offensive line – while others will have to compete to keep their jobs.

Grading each of the Rams’ 7 picks on Day 3 of the 2021 NFL draft

The Los Angeles Rams went heavy on skill position players in the draft, but they added some quality defenders on Saturday, too.

The Los Angeles Rams came into the 2021 NFL draft with six picks in their pocket. Thanks to three total trades on Friday and Saturday, they made seven picks alone on the final day of the draft.

Their selections on Saturday ranged from wide receivers to defensive linemen, but not a single offensive lineman was drafted by Los Angeles. A puzzling development, no doubt, but one that Sean McVay explained after the draft concluded.

It’s hard to gauge how successful a draft class will be until two or three years out, but it’s never too early to hand out grades for each pick. We graded all nine of the Rams’ selections on Day 3, from Bobby Brown III to Chris Garrett.

Overall, it was a day filled with surprises, but one that looks better on paper than the Rams’ second- and third-round picks. You can find my Day 2 grades here, but let’s get into the team’s seven selections on Saturday.

Sean McVay explains Rams’ surprising decision not to draft an offensive lineman

The Rams went all seven rounds without taking a single offensive lineman. Sean McVay explained why, pointing to their depth.

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The Los Angeles Rams traded back three times, made nine total selections and took four players on offense. Not a single one of them was an offensive lineman, however.

It was by far the most shocking development in the draft for the Rams, even more surprising than their decision to draft a 155-pound wide receiver at No. 57 overall. For a team that lost its starting center Austin Blythe in free agency, it seemed as though the offensive line would be a much higher priority.

They even took a running back before addressing the offensive line, which stunned fans on Twitter. But Sean McVay gave a reason for the Rams passing on all the linemen in this class: depth.

Very simply, he and Les Snead like the players the Rams already have along the offensive front, most of whom have played meaningful snaps in the NFL.

At tackle, it’ll be Andrew Whitworth and Rob Havenstein as the starters again. At guard, the questions begin to surface. David Edwards and Austin Corbett are likely to remain the starters there after playing well last season, but Joe Noteboom and Bobby Evans also showed they can line up at guard.

Tremayne Anchrum can play guard or tackle, while Chandler Brewer is also returning after opting out of the 2020 season. And then there’s Jamil Demby, who the Rams have kept around for a few years despite cutting him once before.

At center is where the glaring need resides. Blythe is gone, but Brian Allen and Coleman Shelton are both on the roster. And if neither of them pans out as the starter in the middle, Corbett is a candidate to move inside to center.

McVay expressed confidence in that possibility, lauding Corbett’s versatility, as well as the Rams’ other guards’ ability to move around.

It’s not a surprising answer from McVay, but it’s still curious that they chose not to take one of the top centers in the draft – guys like Creed Humphrey and Quinn Meinerz, who were both available when the Rams went on the clock in Round 2 and 3.

We’ll have to wait and see how this strategy works out, but Allen looked overmatched in 2019 and Corbett struggled at center with the Browns. Clearly the Rams feel good about both players, though.

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Sean McVay explains Rams’ surprising decision not to draft an offensive lineman

The Rams went all seven rounds without taking a single offensive lineman. Sean McVay explained why, pointing to their depth.

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The Los Angeles Rams traded back three times, made nine total selections and took four players on offense. Not a single one of them was an offensive lineman, however.

It was by far the most shocking development in the draft for the Rams, even more surprising than their decision to draft a 155-pound wide receiver at No. 57 overall. For a team that lost its starting center Austin Blythe in free agency, it seemed as though the offensive line would be a much higher priority.

They even took a running back before addressing the offensive line, which stunned fans on Twitter. But Sean McVay gave a reason for the Rams passing on all the linemen in this class: depth.

Very simply, he and Les Snead like the players the Rams already have along the offensive front, most of whom have played meaningful snaps in the NFL.

At tackle, it’ll be Andrew Whitworth and Rob Havenstein as the starters again. At guard, the questions begin to surface. David Edwards and Austin Corbett are likely to remain the starters there after playing well last season, but Joe Noteboom and Bobby Evans also showed they can line up at guard.

Tremayne Anchrum can play guard or tackle, while Chandler Brewer is also returning after opting out of the 2020 season. And then there’s Jamil Demby, who the Rams have kept around for a few years despite cutting him once before.

At center is where the glaring need resides. Blythe is gone, but Brian Allen and Coleman Shelton are both on the roster. And if neither of them pans out as the starter in the middle, Corbett is a candidate to move inside to center.

McVay expressed confidence in that possibility, lauding Corbett’s versatility, as well as the Rams’ other guards’ ability to move around.

It’s not a surprising answer from McVay, but it’s still curious that they chose not to take one of the top centers in the draft – guys like Creed Humphrey and Quinn Meinerz, who were both available when the Rams went on the clock in Round 2 and 3.

We’ll have to wait and see how this strategy works out, but Allen looked overmatched in 2019 and Corbett struggled at center with the Browns. Clearly the Rams feel good about both players, though.

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Rams 2021 undrafted free agent tracker

Tracking all of the undrafted free agents signed by the Los Angeles Rams after the 2021 NFL draft.

With the 2021 NFL draft in the books, now the attention turns to those players who weren’t drafted. The Los Angeles Rams have done well when it comes to finding talented players who slip through the draft and go undrafted, and they hope to continue that trend this year.

We’ll be tracking all of the undrafted free agent signings made by the Rams this weekend, and they’re likely to come in rather quickly from Saturday to Sunday. Los Angeles will use these undrafted rookies to round out their 90-man roster for the offseason, carrying them into minicamp and eventually training camp.

After making nine picks in the draft, you can find the undrafted players signed by the Rams below as they are reported.

Rams select OLB Chris Garrett with their final pick in the 2021 NFL draft

Chris Garrett out of Concordia University is the Rams’ final pick of the 2021 NFL draft, giving them an edge rusher in Round 7.

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With their final pick in the 2021 NFL draft, the Los Angeles Rams selected edge rusher Chris Garrett out of Concordia University. That means the Rams went the entire draft without selecting a single offensive lineman, which comes as a huge surprise.

Garrett is from a Division II school but was dominant in 2019. He had 14 sacks and 20.5 tackles for a loss as an AP All-American that year, tying for the D-II lead in sacks. In those 11 games played, he had a total of seven forced fumbles.

Concordia-St. Paul did not play in 2020 due to COVID-19 concerns, so his last season in college was an outstanding one.

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Rams select RB Jake Funk with 233rd overall pick

The Rams took a running back before a center, drafting Jake Funk in the seventh round.

Drafting a running back has become a tradition for the Los Angeles Rams with Les Snead and Sean McVay running the show. That trend continued on Saturday with the Rams selecting Jake Funk out of Maryland at No. 233 overall.

Funk is a 5-foot-10 running back, so he’s on the smaller side. But in the last two seasons at Maryland, he rushed for 689 yards on only 77 carries, scoring five touchdowns, as well. He averaged 7.2 yards per carry in college, though his opportunities were limited (135 total carries).

He tested well at his pro day, running a 4.38 40-yard dash and jumping 38 inches in the vertical.

The biggest red flag with Funk is his durability. He tore his ACL twice in the same knee, which caused him to miss significant time with the Terrapins. He played just 10 total games in his final three years after playing 23 in his first two seasons.

He’ll primarily contribute on special teams as a rookie if he makes the team, but in a best-case scenario, he’ll be RB4 behind Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson and Xavier Jones.

Rams select DL Earnest Brown with 174th pick in 2021 NFL draft

Earnest Brown gives the Rams another big defender up front.

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The Los Angeles Rams continue to bolster their defensive front seven in the 2021 NFL draft. At No. 174 overall, the Rams selected Northwestern defensive lineman Earnest Brown.

Brown is 6-foot-5 and 270 pounds, but he’s not the best athlete. He has the size to play defensive end or outside linebacker in the Rams’ 3-4 scheme, however, giving Raheem Morris another versatile player to work with.

The Rams announced the pick as Brown being a defensive lineman, so the plan might be to play him in Michael Brockers’ spot. But he’s somewhat of a tweener like Morgan Fox was, carrying a similar frame to the former Rams defensive end (6-foot-3, 275 pounds).

Brown had just seven sacks in four seasons at Northwestern, with his sack total decreasing in each of the last two years. However, he had 8.5 tackles for a loss and batted four passes in 2020 alone; he only had one sack in nine games last season, though.

In 2019, Brown missed the final six games of Northwestern’s season with a pectoral injury, but he rebounded to play and start all nine games in 2020. Last year was his only season as a starter.

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